Fayetteville Walk: Local Nurse With Double Genetic Risk Joins Saturday Event

Amy Hamby will join hundreds of participants at the annual Walk to End Alzheimer's in Fayetteville on Saturday.

The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. at Segra Stadium and is expected to draw large crowds. The disease affects more than seven million Americans, a figure that represents roughly one in nine people age 65 and older. New diagnoses are made every 65 seconds in the United States.

Hamby, a nurse from Erwin, is participating in memory of her father, who died in 2008. The family called him Poppy, and Hamby will wear a Team Poppy shirt during the event. She did not realize her father carried the genetic marker for the illness when he passed. As a nurse, she admitted she had no knowledge that she also carried the gene.

In 2024, Hamby received a diagnosis of early-stage Alzheimer's at age 59. She initially attributed her symptoms to post-infectious brain fog, a common explanation during the pandemic. Testing later confirmed she has two copies of the APOE-4 gene. Having one copy increases risk by two to three times, while two copies can raise the risk by 10 to 15 times.

Hamby is currently waiting for approved treatments. She noted that these therapies carry higher risks for individuals with two gene copies, but she believes the potential benefits justify the wait. She continues to cook family recipes and share meals with her children, though she sometimes asks them to repeat questions.

Since her diagnosis, she has traveled to Raleigh to support legislation for Alzheimer's research and care. She aims to have many more years with her children and wants to live fully.

Registration for the Fayetteville walk remains open for those wishing to participate or show support.